The Challenge Factory discussion

Save the Bees!
Challenge Starts July 1, 2024

There are over 20,000 bee species found in the world. This diversity encompasses some of the most important insects for agriculture, wild plants, and home gardens.
Many plants rely on pollinators, including bees, for pollination. Some plants are fully dependent on bees, while others are only partially dependent.
Fully dependent plants include brazil nuts, cocoa beans, kiwi and melons. Partially dependent plants include avocados, coffee and nuts. Other plants that rely on bees are almonds, apples, apricots, blueberries, cotton, papaya, passionfruit, and strawberries.

Take seven steps to help protect the bees! Each step requires 3 books.

There is an optional spell out for each level as well. For spell outs, you may use the first letter of the first word of the title (using or omitting an opening A/An/The), or the first letter of the author's first or last name.

Post your completions in your own thread. You may take as long as you need to complete this challenge.

Sample completion post:

TASK:
BOOK/AUTHOR:
PAGES:
DATE READ:
HOW IT FITS:

Plant a Bee Garden
Keeping a tidy garden may actually backfire for bees. This is because it removes items and sites that are usually used by the insects. Only honeybees form hives, while 70% of the rest of bees nest in the ground and 30% use cracks and crevices as their bee home.

One of the largest threats to bees is a lack of safe habitat where they can build homes and find a variety of nutritious food sources. You can create a safe haven for bees with pollen- and nectar-rich flowers by planting a range of shapes, sizes, colors, and bloom times. You don’t need a ton of space to grow bee-friendly plants — gardens can be established across yards and in window boxes, flower pots, and mixed into vegetable gardens. Seek out locally native plants as often as possible as many bee species have coevolved to feed exclusively on native flowers and need them to survive.

Tasks:
1. Read a book where the MC is not tidy.
2. Read a book with a flower pot, window box or other small garden on the cover.
3. Read a book with the word "crack" in the text.

Optional Spell Out: SAFE HAVEN

REMEMBER: Books completed before July 1st will not count for this challenge.

SAFE HAVEN

S - Better to Rest (Liam Campbell #4) by Dana Stabenow - Jul 5 - ALN
A - The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi - Aug 11 - AFN
F - Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries #6) by Martha Wells - Jul 2 - Title
E - Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel - Jul 14 - AFN

H - One by One (Professor Maxie Reddick Files #1) by Helen Bridgett - Jul 25 - AFN
A - The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes #3) by Arthur Conan Doyle - Aug 17 - Title
V - Very Good, Jeeves! (Jeeves #4) by P.G. Wodehouse - Aug 15 - Title
E - Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便 [Majo no Takkyūbin] #1) by Eiko Kadono (43868 words) - Aug 1 - AFN
N - Nothing Gold Can Stay (Liam Campbell #3) by Dana Stabenow - Jul 4 - Title

Awesome! I'll put up the next set of prompts when your 3 tasks are done. But way to go on the spell out!!

TASK: 1. Read a book where the MC is not tidy.
BOOK/AUTHOR: My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
PAGES: 289
DATE READ: Jul 12
HOW IT FITS: The unnamed protagonist visits Reva’s apartment which is kept very untidily.

TASK: 2. Read a book with a flower pot, window box or other small garden on the cover.
BOOK/AUTHOR: The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
PAGES: 384
DATE READ: Nov 22
HOW IT FITS: Cottage garden on the cover


TASK: 3. Read a book with the word "crack" in the text.
BOOK/AUTHOR: So Sure of Death (Liam Campbell #2) by Dana Stabenow
PAGES: 308
DATE READ: Jul 3
HOW IT FITS: Pg. 182: Another minute passed before the door opened and Walter Larsgaard's father's face peered through the crack.

Go Chemical-Free for Bees
Regardless of which flowers you plant, avoid using pesticides and herbicides. Synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, and neonicotinoids are harmful to bees, wreaking havoc on their sensitive systems. A garden can thrive without these harmful chemicals — in fact, one goal of a bee-friendly garden is to build a sustainable ecosystem that keeps itself in check by fostering beneficial populations. If you must use a pesticide, choose a targeted organic product, and always avoid applying pesticides directly to the soil or when flowers are blooming.

Tasks:
1. Read a book by an author whose initials are NOT found in the word PESTICIDE.
2. Read a book where the MC is very sensitive (your interpretation).
3. Read a book with the word "organic" in the text.

Optional Spell Out: SUSTAINABLE

TASK: 1. Read a book by an author whose initials are NOT found in the word PESTICIDE.
BOOK/AUTHOR: The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes (The Lillys #1) by Xio Axelrod
PAGES: 457
DATE READ: Dec 4
HOW IT FITS: Author’s initials XA cannot be found in PESTICIDE.

TASK: 2. Read a book where the MC is very sensitive (your interpretation).
BOOK/AUTHOR: The Institution (Connie Woolwine #2) by Helen Fields
PAGES: 422
DATE READ: Nov 26
HOW IT FITS: As a teenager, Connie Woolwine was involved in an accident. Rather than being treated in a medical ward when she lost her ability to communicate, her psychiatrist had her committed to a psych unit where she went though excruciating experiences until another doctor reviewed her case and discovered that the cause was actually a blood clot. Having seen the worst of what could happen in such places, Connie became much more sensitive to the plight of others who like her were committed to such places without anyone to champion their causes.

TASK: 3. Read a book with the word "organic" in the text.
BOOK/AUTHOR: Lies and Weddings (Cities) by Kevin Kwan
PAGES: 437
DATE READ: Nov 30
HOW IT FITS: Pg. 28: …made out of organic hemp

Provide Trees for Bees
Did you know that bees get most of their nectar from trees? When a tree blooms, it provides thousands of blossoms to feed from. Trees are not only a great food source for bees, but also an essential habitat. Tree leaves and resin provide nesting material for bees, while natural wood cavities make excellent shelters. Native trees such as maples, redbuds, and black cherry all attract and support bees. You can help bolster bee food sources and habitat by caring for and planting trees. Trees are also great at sequestering carbon, managing our watersheds, and cooling air temperatures.

Tasks:
1. Read a book with the word "essential" in the text.
2. Read a book where a character is a good cook (food source) for other characters.
3. Read a book with a shelter of some kind on the cover (tent, lean-to, etc.)

Optional Spell Out: BLOSSOMS

TASK: 1. Read a book with the word "essential" in the text.
BOOK/AUTHOR: The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle
PAGES: 229
DATE READ: Dec 9
HOW IT FITS: Pg. 15: You then forget the essential fact…


TASK: 2. Read a book where a character is a good cook (food source) for other characters.
BOOK/AUTHOR: Twelve Slays of Christmas (Christmas Tree Farm Mystery #1) by Jacqueline Frost
PAGES: 311
DATE READ: Dec 20
HOW IT FITS: Two characters are highly praised for their culinary skills, Holly White’s mother for all her dishes and Caroline West for her cupcakes.


TASK: 3. Read a book with a shelter of some kind on the cover (tent, lean-to, etc.)
BOOK/AUTHOR: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #1) by Alexander McCall Smith
PAGES: 152
DATE READ: Jan 23
HOW IT FITS: Huts on the cover

Create a Bee Bath
Bees work up quite a thirst foraging and collecting nectar. Fill a shallow bird bath or bowl with clean water, and arrange pebbles and stones inside so that they break the water’s surface. Bees will land on the stones and pebbles to take a long, refreshing drink.

Tasks:
1. Read a book whose author's initials can be found in the word WATER.
2. Read a book where a character becomes very thirsty.
3. Read a book where the MC is very shallow.

Optional Spell Out: REFRESHING

BLOSSOMS

B - Maybe This Time by Cara Bastone (5Hr 45min) - Dec 19 - ALN
L - Murder on the Safari Star (Adventures on Trains #3) by M.G. Leonard & Sam Sedgman (51426 words) - Dec 29 - ALN
O - Curse of the Wolf King (Entangled with Fae #1) by Tessonja Odette - Jan 16 - ALN
S - The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis - Dec 30 - Title
S - Penny Dreadful by Laurel Snyder (55822 words) - Feb 1 - ALN
O - One Dog Night (Andy Carpenter #9) by David Rosenfelt - Mar 2 - Title
M - The Murder Game by Carrie Doyle - Dec 10 - Title
S - The Widows of Malabar Hill (Perveen Mistry #1) by Sujata Massey - Feb 21 - AFN

Awesome work!!

TASK: 1. Read a book whose author's initials can be found in the word WATER.
BOOK/AUTHOR: The Winter Sisters by Tim Westover
PAGES: 324
DATE READ: Mar 12
HOW IT FITS: Author’s initials are TW, both can be found in WaTer


TASK: 2. Read a book where a character becomes very thirsty.
BOOK/AUTHOR: The Secret of Shadow Ranch (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #5) by Carolyn Keene (34312 words)
PAGES: 202
DATE READ: Feb 13
HOW IT FITS: Pg. 160: After introductions, Mr. Regor explained that he had made the thumping noise by kicking his heels. “My throat was so parched I couldn’t yell out to you.”


TASK: 3. Read a book where the MC is very shallow.
BOOK/AUTHOR: Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
PAGES: 320
DATE READ: Mar 8
HOW IT FITS: The male MC is one of the most shallow characters I have come across till date.

Protect Ground Nesting Bees
Did you know that 70% of the world’s 20,000 bees — including bumblebees — live underground. There, they build nests and house their young, who overwinter and emerge each spring. Ground nesting bees need bare, mulch-free, well-drained, protected soil in a sunny area to create and access their nests. Leave an untouched section for ground nesting bees in your garden!

Tasks:
1. Read a book that has a bare yard in at least one scene.
2. Read a book whose author's initials are in the word UNTOUCHED.
3. Read a book with a character who builds a nest (can be a figurative nest if the character is a human).

Optional Spell Out: UNDERGROUND

SUSTAINABLE

S - A Study in Scarlet (Sherlock Holmes #1) by Arthur Conan Doyle - Dec 3 - Title
U - Unleashed (Andy Carpenter #11) by David Rosenfelt - Apr 28 - Title
S - The Secret History by Donna Tartt - Dec 5 - Title
T - The Christmas Carrolls (The Christmas Carrolls, #1) by Mel Taylor-Bessent (41704 words - 4H37min) - Nov 24 - ALN
A - The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot #1) by Agatha Christie - Nov 27 - AFN
I - The Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd - Nov 29 - Title
N - I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue - Dec 2 - AFN
A - The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand - Dec 18 - Title
B - Billy Budd: Sea Adventure Novel by Herman Melville - Dec 13 - Title
L - The God of the Woods by Liz Moore - Dec 6 - AFN
E - The Railway Children by E. Nesbit (59218 words) - Nov 25 - AFN

Fantastic!!

TASK: 1. Read a book that has a bare yard in at least one scene.
BOOK/AUTHOR: Middle of the Night by Riley Sager
PAGES: 379
DATE READ: Apr 7
HOW IT FITS: Pg. 92: Now here I am, back at the scene of the crime, and my first thought is how the yard has barely changed in the past thirty years. It remains a tidy swath of grass stretching from the back of the house to the edge of the woods.

TASK: 2. Read a book whose author's initials are in the word UNTOUCHED.
BOOK/AUTHOR: Finlay Donovan Is Killing It (Finlay Donovan #1) by Elle Cosimano
PAGES: 355
DATE READ: Apr 21
HOW IT FITS: Author’s initials EC can be found in untouChEd

TASK: 3. Read a book with a character who builds a nest (can be a figurative nest if the character is a human).
BOOK/AUTHOR: Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor #3) by Jessica Townsend (123528 words)
PAGES: 560
DATE READ: May 7
HOW IT FITS: The MC, Morrigan Crow, lives in the Hotel Deucalion. The hotel is sentient and changes the decor of the rooms to suit the occupants. Once it had got used to Morrigan, it started making her bed a “nest” of blankets.
Pg. 84: It had transformed while she was sleeping from a four-poster into something resembling an enormous replica of Saint Nick’s sleigh, filled with dozens of plump velvet cushions and soft woollen blankets.
Pg. 505: This hard, narrow hospital cot could never compare to the nest of blankets Room 85 would make for her.

Leave Stems Behind
30% of bees live in holes inside of trees, logs, or hollow plant stems. Don’t cut those hollow stems, which are valuable bee habitats. A hollow stem may not seem like prime real estate to us, but to the mason and other bees, it’s a cozy home in which they may overwinter. Wait until the spring to cut back dead flower stalks, leaving stems 8 to 24 inches high to provide homes for cavity-nesting bees.

Tasks:
1. Read a book about a character who waits to do something until later.
2. Read a book with an author whose initials can be found in the word CAVITY.
3. Read a book where a character stalks something.

Optional Spell Out: PLANT STEM

REFRESHING

R - Vampires in the Lemon Grove and Other Stories by Karen Russell - Mar 29 - ALN
E - Equal Rites (Discworld #3) by Terry Pratchett - Feb 6 - Title
F - The Tower Treasure (The Hardy Boys #1) by Franklin W. Dixon (35948 words) - Apr 10 - AFN
R - Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson - Apr 4 - AFN
E - The Eye of the Leopard by Henning Mankell - Jun 6 - Title
S - The Satapur Moonstone (Perveen Mistry #2) by Sujata Massey - Feb 25 - Title
H - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson - Feb 23 - Title
I - What the River Knows (Secrets of the Nile #1) by Isabel Ibañez - May 23 - AFN & ALN
N - Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor #1) by Jessica Townsend (89778 words) - Feb 12 - Title
G - The Wall (Sumer #1) by Gautam Bhatia - Jan 26 - AFN

Amazing!!!

TASK: 1. Read a book about a character who waits to do something until later.
BOOK/AUTHOR: A Disappearance in Fiji (Akal Singh #1) by Nilima Rao
PAGES: 276
DATE READ: May 20
HOW IT FITS: Akal Singh wants to interview all the coolies but has to wait until the night when they have finished their work on the plantation.

TASK: 2. Read a book with an author whose initials can be found in the word CAVITY.
BOOK/AUTHOR: Clean Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles #1) by Ilona Andrews
PAGES: 225
DATE READ: Jun 11
HOW IT FITS: Author’s initials IA, can be found in cAvIty

TASK: 3. Read a book where a character stalks something.
BOOK/AUTHOR: Sinister Magic (Death Before Dragons #1) by Lindsay Buroker
PAGES: 248
DATE READ: Jun 9
HOW IT FITS: One of the MCs, Val Thorvald,is being stalked by another character, a dragon called Zavryd.

Support Local Beekeepers and Organizations
Local beekeepers work hard to nurture their bees and the local community. The easiest way to show your appreciation is to buy locally-made honey and beeswax products. Many beekeepers use products from their hives to create soaps, lotions, and beeswax candles. Plus, local honey is not only delicious — it is made from local flora and may help with seasonal allergies! You can also give time, resources, and monetary donations to local beekeeping societies and environmental groups to help their programs grow.

Tasks:
1. Read a book where the MC sells or buys a locally grown product.
2. Read a book with the word "honey" in the text.
3. Read a book with a character who suffers from allergies.

Optional Spell Out: APPRECIATION

TASK: 1. Read a book where the MC sells or buys a locally grown product.
BOOK/AUTHOR: Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
PAGES: 432
DATE READ: Jun 15
HOW IT FITS: Pg. 277: …carefully slicing the plump tomatoes we grabbed from a farmers’ market in Savannah.

TASK: 2. Read a book with the word "honey" in the text.
BOOK/AUTHOR: Radio Shangri-La: What I Discovered on my Accidental Journey to the Happiest Kingdom on Earth by Lisa Napoli
PAGES: 322
DATE READ: Jun 16
HOW IT FITS: Pg. 45: Thank God that didn’t happen to us, honey.

TASK: 3. Read a book with a character who suffers from allergies.
BOOK/AUTHOR: The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant (Fred, the Vampire Accountant #1) by Drew Hayes
PAGES: 300
DATE READ: Jul 14
HOW IT FITS: Pg. 11: This would have been an ordeal in itself three years ago, but with the night hours and the new allergies to garlic, silver, and sunshine came a few undeniable perks.

CONGRATULATIONS!! You saved the bees!